Hand-assembled fabric-covered buttons



March 29, 1966 A. DRITZ HAND-ASSEMBLED FABRIC-COVERED BUTTONS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 26, 1964 INVENTOR. 4,?7/44/2 OAP/TZ United States 3,242,544 HAND-ASSEMBLED FABERlC-CGVERED BUTTONS Arthur Dritz, 171 Beach 125th St, Bell Harbor, Long Island, N.Y.

Filed Feb. 26, 1964, Ser. No. 347,452 3 Claims. (Cl. 24-113) This invention relates to fabric-covered garment buttons assemblable by hand.

The prime object of my present invention is to provide an improved form of pre-shaped outer and inner metal button parts or members, namely a button shell and a button back, which are adapted to be interfitted with a fabric material, for the forming by a home dressmaker of fabric covered garment buttons.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved simple tool to facilitate the assembly by the home dressmaker of such button parts or members with a fabric material to make fabric-covered garment buttons.

The home dressmaker is faced with a number of difficulties in making fabric-covered buttons to match, blend or contrast with the fabric material of which a garment is made. The pieces of the selected fabric material, cut to suitable disk shape, which are to serve as the button coverings, have to be spread over the button shell to cover the latter, the peripheral portion of the covering material has to be tucked into the shell interior with the covering sheet tautly and smoothly drawn over the face of the button shell; and with the face and the tucked-in portion of the covering held tautly and securely in place, the button back then has to be telescoped into, nested and interfitted with the shell and the covering material to complete the assembly and to firmly and permanently interlock the parts and thereby form the finished button. These operations are difficult for the unskilled; and uniform results are not achieved even by those who acquire some knack or skill for the work.

In attaining the first mentioned object of the present invention, I have devised an improved button shell and button back structured to facilitate the telescoping attachment of the button back to the button shell, to permit an accommodation of the button back to the varying behavior of the fabric coverings during the assembly, to produce a firm interlocking of the assembled parts and to produce a finished button in which the parts are rigidly, irreversibly and permanently held in their assembled relation.

In carrying out the second mentioned object of the invention, I have devised a related tool, assembled and sold with the button parts as a kit, and coordinated in structure with that of the button parts to aid in their desired assembling and completing.

To the accomplishment of these objects and such other objects as may hereinafter appear, my invention relates to the metal button parts or members for the making of hand assemblable fabric covered buttons as sought to be defined in the appended claims taken together with the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of all of the parts of the button and a fabric covering which is to be used therewith in the assembling of the parts to produce a finished button;

3,242,544 Patented Mar. 29, 1966 FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a finished or assembled button;

FIG. 3 is a view thereof shown on an enlarged scale and taken in cross-section in the plane of the line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detailed view of a part thereof showing the relation prior to the final assembly of the shank of the button Shell and a collar of the button back;

FIG. 5 is a view of the same taken in cross-section in the plane of the line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but showing the parts thereof in assembled interlocked condition;

FIG. 7 is a medial sectional view of the tool used in the assembly of the parts and illustrating an initial step in the use of the tool;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7 but showing a further stage in the use thereof;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIGS. 7 and 8 and showing a final stage in the use thereof; and

FIG. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary view of FIG. 8.

Referring now more in detail to the drawings and having reference first to FIGS. 2 and 3 thereof, the button in its hand assembled condition comprises an outer button member 10, an inner button member 12 telescoped into and seated within the outer button member, said members being interlocked and securing therebetween the infolded parts of an attached fabric covering 14, the outer button member 10 being provided with a part 16 extending centrally through the inner button member to serve as a means for attaching the button to a garment.

The outer button member 10 comprises a metal shell having 21 preferably dished body 18 and a peripheral flange 20 disposed upwardly and inwardly of said body, formed or shaped in the manner clearly depicted in FIGS. 1 and 3 of the drawings. The part 16 comprises a shank member which is initially secured in position centrally of the shell 16, the shank 16 comprising for this purpose a metal piece in the form of a loop 22 of inverted U shape formed with legs 24, 24 received by slots 26, 26 in a securing disk 28, the said legs being bent outwardly and held fixedly in position by means of the disk 28, which latter is firmly lodged at the bottom of the shell ill by engagement with the wall of the peripheral flange 20, as clearly shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings. The top of the loop shank 16 defines an eye for thread attachment of the finished button to a garment.

The inner button member 12 comprises a button back having a body 36 provided or formed with a peripheral flange 32 disposed upwardly and outwardly of said body 30, the said button back body 30 itself being disposed upwardly and inwardly of the peripheral flange 32 and being formed with a series of circular stepped ribs 34, 34. The button back body 30 terminates centrally in a reenforced collar portion 36 obtained by folding over the inner edge material of the button back, as clearly depicted in FIG. 3 of the drawings. Preferably the stepped ribs 34 extend radially from the peripheral flange 32 to the central collar portion 36.

In FIGS. 4 to 6 of the drawings I show the structural design and the functional relation between the button shank l6 and the collar 36 of the button back 12. The collar portion 36 has a circular contour and the button shank 16, shaped up from sheet material configured as shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings, has an outside transverse contour of a rectangle, both as shown particularly in FIG. 4 of the drawings, a diagonal dimension 38 of the rectangle being made slightly larger than the internal diameter 40 of the circular collar portion 36.

In assembling the parts to make a fabric covered button, the fabric material 14 is assembled to and spread over the button shell 10, the peripheral portion 14 of the covering material is tucked into the interior of the shell, the covering material being tautly and smoothly drawn over the face of the button shell; and with the face and the tucked in portion of the covering material held securely in place, the button back 12 is then telescoped into and interfitted with the shell and the covering material to complete the assembly. With the parts structured as above described, the telescoping attachment of the button back 12 to the button shell is facilitated, the button back is permitted to accommodate itself to the behavior of the fabric covering, particularly the peripheral part thereof, during the assembly, a firm interlocking of the assembled parts is produced, and a finished button is obtained in which the described parts are rigidly and permanently held in their assembled relation.

These functional results are attained due not only to the general configuration of the shell and back members of the button with their upwardly and oppositely directed and interengaging peripheral flanges but by reason of the circular stepped rib construction of the body 30 of the button back and by reason of the clutching interengagement between the shank 16 of the shell and the collar 36 of the button back. By this means the following interrelated results are achieved: The circular stepped rib formation of the body back permits the body back to flex upwardly in an axial direction and to flex inwardly in a radial direction in the act of telescoping, pressurefitting and nesting the button back into the shell, thereby permitting ease of assembling these parts, at the same time causing these parts to tautly draw the fabric cover 14 into firm and uniform contact with the button shell; and the pinch-fitting of the corners 16, 16' of the button shank 16, with the same radially biting into the reenforced collar 36 at the points of engagement 36', 36, as best shown in FIG. 6 of the drawings, results, once said corners 16', 16' of the shank are anchored in and clutched to the parts 36, 36' of the collar 36, in producing a resistance to any return movement of the button back, thereby imparting a final rigidity to the button back in an upward axial direction, which in turn firmly locks the button back, the fabric cover and the button shell together at their peripheries.

I find, in addition, that the radial inward flexibility of the back body permits the back to adjust itself to any varying thicknesses in the fabric material due to local folding and bunching of the tucked-in fabric material, that the ribbed structure of the body back imparts planar strength to the back, resisting twisting or warping of the same, and that the four point engagement between the shank and collar provides a compensation for any offcenterness or irregularities that may occur in the shank or back structures.

In FIGS. 7 to 10 of the drawings I show a tool to facilitate the assembling of the button parts, the same being an improvement of the assisting too-l disclosed in my prior Patent No. 2,930,093, issued March 29, 1960. The tool comprises an elastomeric ring member 42, made preferably of soft or resilient rubber, formed with a button receiving cavity 44, the interior wall of said cavity having an inner diameter d substantially equal to the outer diameter of the button shell plus twice the thickness of the fabric cover, as will be seen by reference to FIG. 8 of the drawings. The top of the elastomeric ring 42 is integrally formed with an inwardly disposed rim part 46 which defines a restricted opening 48; and the bottom of the ring is similarly integrally formed With an inwardly disposed rim part 50 which defines a restricted opening 52; and the structure is such that both openings 48 and 52 are of similar or equal size. The rim parts 4% and 50 are spaced axially to receive and seat therebetween a button shell and fabric cover as best illustrated in FIG. 8, and FIG. 10.

The structure of the elastomeric ring is also preferably such that the top rim 46 is formed with faces 46, and 46 which converge downwardly and the bottom rim is formed with faces 50' and 50 which converge upwardly of the ring member. The shape of the elastomeric ring is symmetrical about a median horizontal plane. With this construction, the tool may be used in either an upright or inverted position. In either position, the bottom rim forms a rest or seat for the shell and the top rim forms a resilient flap which as a shell and fabric cover is inserted into the ring (moving from the FIG. 7 to the FIG. 8 condition) exerts a smoothing out pressure on the cover and directs the tucking-in of the peripheral parts of the cover, as depicted in FIG. 8. This construction also permits the button either when partly (and incorrectly) assembled or when completely assembled to be pushed through and expelled through the bottom opening of the ring member.

The ring member 42 is used in the manner depicted in sequence in FIGS. 7 to 10. The cover material 14 and shell 10 are first centered and seated on the top rim 46 of the ring 42 as shown in FIG. 7. These parts are then gently pushed into the ring to produce the formation shown in FIG. 8. The back 12 is then pressed and telescoped into the shell in the manner described in connection with FIGS. 1 to 6 of the drawings; and the resulting assembly, held in the ring as shown in FIG. 9, is then removed either by being lifted from the top opening or expelled through the bottom opening of the ring member.

The hand-assembled covered button of the invention, the improved form of the pre-shaped outer and inner button members thereof, the structure and use of the assisting tool therefor, and the structural and functional advantages inherent therein will in the main be fully apparent from the above detailed description thereof. It will be further apparent that changes may be made in the structure of the parts Without departing from the spirit of the invention defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A button shell and a button back for forming a fabric-faced button, said button shell comprising a body provided with a peripheral flange disposed upwardly and inwardly of said body, said button back comprising a body provided with a central opening and with a periph-- eral flange dispose-d upwardly and outwardly of said back body, said button back body being disposed upwardly and inwardly of its peripheral flange and being formed between its central opening and its said peripheral flange with a series of circular stepped ribs, said shell and back being dimensioned for the back to be telescoped and pressure-fitted into and to rest within the shell with the peripheral flanges of the shell and back interlocking in engagement with fabric material of a facing covering for the button.

2. A button shell and a button back for forming a fabric-faced button, said button shell comprising a body provided with a peripheral flange disposed upwardly and inwardly of said body, said button back comprising a body provided with a peripheral flange disposed upwardly and outwardly of said back body, said button back body being disposed upwardly and inwardly of its peripheral flange and being formed with a series of circular stepped ribs and terminating centrally with a reenforced collar portion, said shell and back being dimensioned for the back to be telescoped and pressurefitted into and to rest within the shell with the peripheral flanges of the shell and back interlocking in engagement with fabric material of a facing covering for the button.

3. The button shell and button back of claim 2, wherein said reinforced collar portion is of circular contour, and wherein the button shell is provided with a button shank fixed to the button shell extending upwardly therefrom, the outside transverse contour of the shank being a rectangle, a diagonal dimension of the rectangle being made slightly larger than the internal diameter of the circular collar portion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS BERNARD A. GELAK, Primary Examiner.

E. SIMONSEN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A BUTTON SHELL AND A BUTTON BACK FOR FORMING A FABRIC-FACED BUTTON, SAID BUTTON SHELL COMPRISING A BODY PROVIDED WITH PERIPHERAL FLANGES DISPOSED UPWARDLY AND INWARDLY OF SAID BODY, SAID BUTTON BACK COMPRISING A BODY PROVIDED WITH A CENTRAL OPENING AND WITH A PERIPHERAL FLANGE DISPOSED UPWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY OF SAID BACK BODY, SAID BUTTON BACK BEING DISPOSED UPWARDLY AND INWARDLY OF ITS PERIPHERAL FLANGE AND BEING FORMED BETWEEN ITS CENTRAL OPENING AND ITS SAID PERIPHERAL FLANGE WITH A SERIES OF CIRCULAR STEPPED RIBS, SAID SHELL AND BACK BEING DIMENSIONED FOR THE BACK TO BE TELESCOPED AND PRESURE-FITTED INTO AND TO REST WITHIN THE SHELL WITH THE PERIPHERAL FLANGES OF THE SHELL AND BACK INTERLOCKING IN ENGAGEMENT WITH FABRIC MATERIAL OF A FACING COVERING FOR THE BUTTON. 